Home » Old Testament »
Jeremiah 2:4-13 2025
Proper 17C
Kicked When You Are Down Immediately, in chapter two, Jeremiah seems to be working counter one of MLK’s principles of non-violent resistance. That resistance “seeks to win friendship and understanding.” Instead, against the backdrop of Babylon’s siege of Jerusalem, Jeremiah seems to be standing over the people saying, “you know, if you think about it,…
Psalm 103:1-8 2025
Proper 16C
As lyric psalms go, it is tough to beat Psalm 103. The RCL is having us look at only the first eight of the psalm’s twenty-two verses but we know this poem stays on high notes of beauty and praise throughout. In a couple of the congregations to which I have belonged the pastors used…
Jeremiah1:4-10 2025
Proper 16C
Context I’m spending a bit more time this week on some background information, as well as a potential framing for a series (see below: Illustration) since we are going to be in Jeremiah for much of the late summer and fall. In fact, the book of Jeremiah provides far more in terms of historical context…
Psalm 82
Proper 15C
Some translations of Psalm 82, including the New International Version I typically look at, put scare quotes around the three instances of the word “gods” in this short psalm. Sometimes such scare quotes get called air quotes if invoked by a preacher or other public speaker. If you say, “Well, according to certain ‘experts’ ….
Jeremiah 23:23-29
Proper 15C
Dreams and Discernment Taken on its own, this text would leave us thinking dreams are a terrible way of knowing the truth. But then consider a couple experiences in the book of Genesis — I’m thinking of both Jacob and Joseph — and the prophet Joel who promises that one day God’s people will “see…
Genesis 15:1-6
Proper 14C
Illustration I suppose it’s fair to say that Hebrew Scripture has been in the cultural zeitgeist long enough that its contents are public domain. I mean, I don’t even know who would be qualified to bring a lawsuit on behalf of … Moses? At the same time, I do think you could make a plausible…
Psalm 33:12-22
Proper 14C
When I was somewhere around the age of 9 years old and my brother was 5 years old, my Dad bought us a Shetland-Welsh Pony. We had moved out to the country the year before and so had our own barn and fenced-in pasture. I had said I was interested in having a horse or…
Hosea 11:1-11
Proper 13C
In Context The book of Hosea levels charges of infidelity against God’s people through an allegory in which Hosea is married to an unfaithful woman. This is compared to Israel’s idolatry, folly, foolishness and unfaithfulness and the bulk of the book is taking up with God’s judgment, punishment and condemnation. Hosea 11 stands out within…
Psalm 49:1-12
Proper 13C
There are a number of psalms in the Hebrew Psalter that stray a bit into the biblical genre of Wisdom Literature. And a couple of those psalms in particular work the same Wisdom territory you can find in the Book of Ecclesiastes. Psalm 39 most closely resembles Qoheleth right down to that most-oft used word…
Psalm 138
Proper 12C
The 138th psalm covers a lot of ground. It also reflects both high aspirations and hopes and also notes of utter realism from the hardscrabble reality of life in a broken world. On the one hand we encounter here the opening sentiments of full-throated, full-hearted praise of Israel’s wonderful and faithful and gracious God. God…
Content related to Old Testament